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Polanski lawyers claim extradition request 'unfair'

BBC Published May 13, 2010 Reviewed Jun 30, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
Citation-ready fact
Polanski faces trial over a case dating back to 1977.
1977 · case
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Citation-ready fact
Polanski was originally charged with six offences including rape and sodomy.
6 · offences
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Citation-ready fact
Polanski left the US in 1978 before he could be sentenced.
1978 · departure
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Citation-ready fact
The judge intended to treat a 90‑day diagnostic study in prison as Polanski's entire punishment.
90 days · diagnostic study
His lawyers, lawyers
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Lawyers for film director Roman Polanski have called a US request for his extradition from Switzerland "misleading and incomplete".

Polanski, 76, is under house arrest pending a decision on whether he should be sent back to the US to face trial over a case dating back to 1977.

He is facing arrest over his conviction for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old.

His lawyers said they want the Swiss to have the complete facts in order to decide if the request is justified.

Only then, lawyers Douglas Dalton, Brad Dalton and Chad Hummel added, would the director would return to the US to litigate his case.

"If, after a fair hearing in Switzerland at which the entire record of this case is truthfully presented, the Swiss determine that extradition is justified, Mr Polanski will of course comply with a lawful extradition order and return to California to litigate the issues of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct and be finally sentenced under the law," the statement said.

"Such a lawful order should be based on the entire record of the California proceedings, not the misleading and incomplete record provided to date," it added.

Polanski, who was originally charged with six offences including rape and sodomy, pleaded guilty to unlawful sex following a plea bargain.

But he left the US in 1978 before he could be sentenced and has never returned.

His lawyers said they want the Swiss authorities to know about the actions of the now-deceased judge in the case, specifically his intent to treat a 90-day diagnostic study in prison as Polanski's entire punishment.

Polanski's lawyers maintain that Los Angeles prosecutors are hiding this fact from the Swiss.

"All we ask on Mr Polanski's behalf is that the Swiss be informed of this fact by the United States, a fact confirmed by every prosecutor in charge of this case up to now," the statement added.

Swiss authorities have not said when they will rule on the extradition filing.

The statement said Swiss authorities have requested supplemental information from the US before making a decision.

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